What Dreams?
by Quinny.555
Summary: Dr. Spencer Reid is a college professor... Or is he? He is having a hard time telling the difference between reality and dreams lately, so when the BAU team he thought only existed in his dreams show up he doesn't know what to believe. Constructive criticism would be lovely.
1. Chapter 1

Spencer Reid sat in his lab, scribbling down notes in his barely legible handwriting. Looking back at the board of extensive mathematical equations, he head a faint knock at the door. He turned to see one of the internes, a young blonde woman, waving nervously at him. He smiled at her warmly.

"Sarah, what can I do for you today?" He greeted, pushing his glasses further up his nose. She smiled.

"Ah, I heard you grumbling about the lack of coffee this morning, and…" She let her sentence trail off as she handed him a large Starbucks coffee. He grinned broadly, now showing teeth. He accepted the cup eagerly.

"Thank you, thank you so much, this is exactly what I've been needing." He said emphatically. He took a huge drink of the sweet liquid and smiled. Everyone at his work knew exactly how he took his coffee. " _He takes about a quart of sugar in it."_ the masculine voice floats through his head, almost like a memory. _But it's NOT a memory._ He silently scolded himself.

"Wow, if I knew coffee got that kind of reaction, I would have brought some sooner." She quipped. Reid gave her a slightly blank look before saying,

"Coffee will always get this reaction." She laughed, despite the fact that he was dead serious. "Well, um, thanks, again…" He said, holding the cup up slightly. She smiled and nodded before slipping out of the room. He rubbed his temples, trying to ward off the migrain he could feel coming on. This was going to be long day.

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Getting back to his apartment that night, Reid was ready to fall into bed, clothes and all. He walked into his bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. The best way to describe is current look was haggard. He sighed, rinsing his face and walking into his bedroom to change into his nightclothes. As he did so, he thought about the strange dreams. They involved, for the most part, six other people. The problem was, he had never seen any of them before in his life. It was the strangest thing, because he _would_ remember meeting anyone like these people, even without an eidetic memory. He had similar dreams every night. In these dreams he was in the FBI (Ridiculous… right?) and worked with a team of profilers to help catch serial killers. Reid pulled himself back into the present and turned off the lights, all accept the bathroom light, and crawled into bed. He was out within minutes.

 _Reid sat at his desk in the bullpen, demonstrating his physics magic to Garcia and JJ._

" _Nothings happening." JJ said._

" _Shh, watch, watch!" Reid told her. They all watched the tiny rocket in anticipation. At that moment, Prentiss walked through the doors. The rocket went flying across the room and both of the girls jumped._

" _Ow, ahg, what?" Prentiss exclaimed as the rocket hit her square in the forehead. She rubbed the sore spot._

" _Oh, I'm so, sorry Emily!" Reid said, trying and failing to hold back a laugh._

" _What was that?" She asked, looking around for what just hit her head._

" _Don't you recognize a rocket when you see one?" Garcia giggled._

" _I- I was merely demonstrating a- a physics law, I didn't mean to-" Prentiss interrupted him._

" _Ooh, show me!" She said rushing over to the small group._

" _Alright, ah, turn around, please." He requested._

" _Turn around?" Prentiss asked incredulously._

" _Yeah, he's not gonna let you see how it's done." JJ said, playful exasperation in her tone._

" _A magician never reveals his secrets." He said._

" _I thought you said it was physics…?" She asked._

" _Physics… Magic." Came his answer._

" _Trust me," Garcia said, "It will not do you any good to argue with him." All of the girls turned, and he set to work making his rocket. When he shook it up and set it back down, he told them,_

" _Alright, alright, turn back and observe." He made a face, wiggling his fingers. All of them turned back and watched, as requested. The rocket went flying and all except Reid jumped. They all watched as the flying projectile landed at Hotch's feet. In sync, their eyes widened as he gave them a stern look and picked it up. And suddenly, all the girls had something else to do_ _and they hurried away from Reid's desk_. 'Traitors' _he thought as Hotch made his way over to him._

" _Physics magic?" Hotch asked, though it sounded more like a statement._

" _Yes, sir…?" Reid answered, unsure if that was the right response._

" _We talked about this." Hotch reprimanded._

" _Sorry, Sir." Reid said, slightly bashful as Hotch set the rocket on his desk._

" _You're starting to get some distance on those." He said, raising his eyebrows slightly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Reid smiled back, relieved he was off the hook. Once he was gone, the girls gathered back around the desk._

" _So, he_ does _have a sense of humor?" Prentiss asked._

" _Sometimes." Reid laughed._

Spencer groaned and rolled over to turn off his alarm. Opening his bleary eyes, he looked at the time. His clock read 7:00 in red letters. He sighed and got out of his warm bed to get ready for the day. After getting dressed, he sat at his kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and drinking his coffee, while reading the news paper. The police had connected a series of murders, but were giving the media close to nothing. There was talk of bringing in the feds, but that's all it was. Talk. Rumors. He folded up his paper and stood from the table. He gathered his things and set off to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.**

Reid walked through the halls of the university, looking to be in his classroom before his students. While, he knew he would be there early, he felt the need to have some time to himself before he really began his day. Entering, he went to his desk to set up. About ten minutes after he began setting up his desk, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He spun around to see a man, not so much older than himself. Reid gave a slightly startled smile. This man unnerved him. He swore he'd seen him before, but couldn't remember where, which never happened. He held out a hand and Reid took it, albeit a bit reluctantly.

"Dr. Reid, it is so nice to finally meet you." The stranger said in a deep baritone.

"Well, I seem to be at a disadvantage here," Reid said, quickly slipping his hand out of the strangers as he spoke. "You know my name, but I don't know yours." The man laughed at this.

"My name is Bryan." he said, flashing a charming smile.

"Well, it is a pleasure to me you, Bryan." He lied through his teeth, hoping to get Bryan out of his classroom as soon as humanly possible.

"I'm such a huge fan of your work." Bryan gushed.

"Well, thank you, it's always nice to meet fans." He gave a tight smile. He noticed many of his students had arrived and he thanked whatever gods were listening for the chance to escape this situation. "But, this meeting will need to be cut short, it's time for my class to start." He looked pointedly at his watch and back at his students. The man smiled again.

"Of course, of course." Bryan said and walked back up through the rows of students. He visibly relaxed and started his lecture.

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Reid packed up his papers several hours later, putting them into his messenger bag. He turned when he heard the doors open. Two people walked into the room and his heart skipped a beat upon seeing them. This is impossible! His mind screamed at him. He continued to stare at them as they approached him. He snapped out of it when the dark skinned man stepped up and reached out to shake his hand. Reid numbly accepted the handshake, then took a step back. They both flashed badges and the man who shook his hand spoke up.

"I'm SSA Derek Morgan, and this is SSA Emily Prentiss." When Reid answered, his voice sounded much steadier than he felt.

"Dr. Spencer Reid. What can I do for you today?" He surprised himself with how calm he sounded.

"We would like you to come down to the station so we could ask you a few questions."

"May is ask what this is about?" Reid asked, brow furrowing slightly. He didn't think he had done anything to have the FBI called in on him. At least, not recently. He hadn't been to a casino in years!

"There has been a series of murders in the area." Prentiss told him.

"And you think I had something to do with that?" He was baffled.

"No." Morgan cut in, "But we do need you to come with us. For your own safety." My own safety? He thought, his mind going a mile a minute. All of the terms he heard in his dreams flying to the forefront of his mind and he unthinkingly asked,

"My own safety? Do I fit the victimology?" Both agents seemed startled by the question. Morgan recovered first.

"We can talk more at the station." Was his answer and Reid nodded, gesturing for them to lead the way. They all walked out to a black SUV and Reid had a sense of dejavu. Shaking his head he made his way toward the car. Suddenly, shots rang out. Reid fet himself hit the hard concrete before he had time to react. All the air was knocked out of him and he instinctively covered his head as more shots rang out. Then the sound of tires screeching faded into the distance and he felt a weight lift off him. It was only then that he realized that Morgan had tackled him when the shooting started. Reid got up and looked around. It seemed the shooter got away.

"Damnit!" Morgan shouted, kicking the tire of the car. Prentiss took a deep breath and turned to Reid.

"Are you okay?" She asked concern written all over her face. He nodded. Morgan pulled out his phone and dialed Hotch.

"Hotch, we got the genius but someone just took a shot at us. Yeah. Okay. We'll be there soon." He hung up. "Lets go." He grumbled and got into the driver's seat. Prentiss got into the passenger seat and Reid climbed into the back. Morgan tried to make conversation as they made their way down to the station.

"Aren't you a little young to be a doctor? And a professor, for that matter?" He asked curiously. Reid blushed slightly and shrugged. "Well, don't you- Ow! Prentiss, what was that for?"

"Leave him alone, Morgan." She said as they pulled into the parking lot. All of them got out of the car, and Morgan looked around for danger. Hotch approached them as they entered the station. He shook Reids hand and made introductions once he led them to the room the team had set up in.

"These are SSA's Rossi, Jareau, and our technical analyst Garcia." He gave a sort of awkward wave, not wanting to shake anyone else's hand.

"Oh, you are just cute as a button!" Garcia exclaimed. Reid smiled at her and she squealed. He looked at the victim board and felt the blood drain out of his face. They all looked like him. He also recognized most of them from articles he had read on various subjects. The statistics on how likely this was to be a coincidence ran through his mind as he stared at the pictures. JJ noticed and grabbed his arm gently, leading him out of the room.

"Dr. Reid," She began as she sat them at a table. "We believe that you know who our UNSUB is. Oh, sorry, UNSUB means-"

"Unknown subject." Reid finished for her. She didn't let her surprise show too much, after all, he was genius.

"Yes. We think you may have met him recently. Is there anyone who comes to mind… he may have been charming, come off as non threatening, but unexpected? Like he just showed up?" Reid nodded.

"A man approached me this morning, before my first class today. He told me he was a huge fan of my work and he acted nice enough, but…" He bit his lower lip. "He set me on edge. I wanted him away from me as soon as he introduced himself. I mean, it's ridiculous, right? Maybe he was just-" JJ cut him off

"Dr. Reid, what was his name?" She asked, a very serious look in her eye.

"He said his name was Bryan." Reid said.

"No last name?" She asked. He shook his head.

"You have been very helpful, Dr. Reid." She told him, and went to relay the information to the team. Despite what she said, he didn't feel very helpful.

 **Please R &R :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So, other people do weird things when they get writers block too, right? Cause when I get writers block I clean and listen to rap music...? Well, it works, so here is another chapter! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I,** **unfortunately** **, do not own Criminal Minds.**

"Okay, Dr. Reid, we will be sending you home tonight with a protective detail." Hotch told Reid after he sat with a sketch artist and helped make a composite sketch of 'Bryan'. Reid was relieved that he would be going home. His headaches had been getting worse and he needed some peace and quiet. Getting onto the car with Morgan, Reid thought about his predicament. After a few minutes of quiet, he asked a question he knew Morgan would be reluctant to answer.

"What happened to the victims?" His voice was quiet. Morgan, startled, turned to his passenger.

"What?" Though he knew exactly what the young man beside him had asked. Reid turned large hazel eyes on him.

"You heard me." It was said softly, almost like he was trying not to disturb the quiet that had settled over the SUV.

"I'm so not telling you that, kid." Morgan replied stiffly, and Reid saw his opening. He was a profiler, even if it was only in his dreams.

"That bad, huh?" He said turning away from Morgan slightly.

"No, it's not. Really. It just that you're a civilian and-" Morgan said quickly, trying to explain himself.

"It's fine, you don't have to tell me how bad it is."

"It's not that bad!" Morgan protested.

"You wouldn't keep it from me if it wasn't that bad." Reid contradicted.

"Yes, I would, and I am!" He said, now frustrated.

"I don't believe you." Reid said stubbornly.

"They were strangled, Reid! Damn it!" He hit his hand on the steering wheel, glaring at a contemplative Reid. "You are one tricky bastard, you know that?"

"Yeah, it's kind of hard not to be when you have and IQ 187. Was the strangulation manual?" Morgan just blinked at him and slowly nodded. Reid hummed quietly and suddenly realized that this man had no idea why he was asking. And, that he probably sounded very morbid. "I- I went to a few lectures on profiling. I'm just trying to, uh, get a feel for what this guy is like, ya know?" He felt his face get a little red. Morgan gave him a strange look but nodded.

"Well what kind of 'feel' did you get from this guy, kid?" He muttered as they pulled up in front of Reid's apartment complex. Reid contemplated this question for a moment before answering.

"Well, despite the popular belief, strangling someone with your bare hands, especially a grown man, takes strength. Like, a lot of it. And stamina. Much more difficult than TV would have you believe. Which would mean that this guy is probably young, and fit. It would also mean that he is dedicated to killing this way, as most killers would try and, upon realizing how difficult it is, settle for using something like rope or a belt." Reid lectured.

"Dude, I was expecting something like 'he likes it personal'. Not a full profile." Was Morgans slightly sarcastic reply. Reid looked at him, confused.

"That wasn't a full profile. I didn't even include-" he began, but Morgan cut him off, realizing that the kid didn't know he was being sarcastic.

"Nevermind." Was all he said as he got out of the car. Reid quickly followed him out of the car, having to take long strides to catch up with Morgan.

"But there is something off about this whole… situation. He shot at us earlier."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, if killing young men who look like… me with his bare hands is so important to this guy, why would he try to shoot me?" He hesitated before saying "me", but Morgan finally understood what he meant.

"He wouldn't…" Morgan said his eyes widening with the realization. Reid nodded. "So,who besides our UNSUB would shoot at a pair of FBI agents and a college professor?"

"No, I think it was our UNSUB, but I don't think he was trying to shoot _me_ …" Morgan nodded along, now expanding on the thought.

"So, say this guy was trying to shoot me and Prentiss. Why? What would he gain from taking out two FBI agents?"

"Maybe… trying to scare the rest of your team off?"

"No, he's too intelligent for that. He would know that killing two agents would only make the rest of the team that much more motivated to catch him. So what would he gain? Wait… Well, taking out the people assigned to you would give him access."

"Hmm, yes, that seems like the most likely reason." By now they had reached Reid's apartment. There were already two officers standing by the door.

"Night, Dr. Reid." He said and, after nodding at the officers, Morgan was gone. Looking at his watch, Reid thought it was high time he got to sleep.

" _I don't know everything." Reid said as he, Morgan, Hotch, and Elle stood in the doorway_. " _Despite the fact that you think I do." He said to Morgan._

" _I've never said that, when have I ever said that?" He said defensively._

" _Every day since I met you." Reid laughed._

" _This morning at breakfast." Elle chimed in._

" _Yesterday when he beat you at cards." Hotch commented, looking at his watch._

… _._

 _Reid and Morgan stood in an old elevator that had stopped moving. They both looked around and Morgan bounced on his toes slightly. The elevator shook precariously._

" _Don't do that." Reid told him._

" _Why's it stopped?" Morgan mumbled._

" _I don't know…" Morgan began pushing buttons on the panel. Repeatedly. "Stop that." Morgan looked at him._

" _What? What's the problem?" He asked pushing more buttons._

" _Don't do that!" He half shouted. Morgan looked at him for a moment, pausing his button pressing._

" _Why not?" He asked._

" _Because, there are six elevator related deaths per year. Not to mention ten thousand injuries that require hospitalization." he gestured with his hand, "Chill out."_

" _Those sound like pretty good odds to me, what, wait, are you scared? Are you scared of me?" He ribbed._

" _No, I'm not scared. I don't want to be in an elevator with you, to be honest." he spoke over more of Morgans jokes._

" _What, what's that, Oh-" He spoke still pressing buttons and bouncing on his toes. Suddenly, the elevator dropped about a foot lower, sending both agents sprawling into the wall behind them. Morgan looked around, obviously freaked out now. "Woah. Woah." he said in a low voice._

" _Ju- Just_ , _pry the doors open!"_

" _They're stuck, man." Morgan grunted as the death trap they called an elevator shook, once again throwing him against the wall. He closed his eyes. "No, no, no, not today."_

" _Hotch!" Reid called out as morgan pressed the call button._

" _Hotch!" Morgan yelled louder._

… _._

 _Reid hovered over Garcia as she typed._

" _Are you… are you hacking into the governments HMO database? Is that legal?" He questioned uneasily._

" _Of course not." she said slyly "We'll both go to prison and you'll be someone's bitch." he gave her a look before muttering,_

" _Really?" More to himself than her. She smiled wickedly._

… _.._

 _The team sat on the Jet, going over the case they had recently been given. The jet shook with turbulence as Garcia's face was replaced with the login screen on the computer. The jet shook again as Reid buckled his belt and looked at Rossi, who sat across from him. The Italian had shut his eyes and crossed himself while muttering something, most likely a prayer, under his breath._

" _I didn't know you were a bad flyer." Reid commented._

" _I'm not, I just hate turbulence." Rossi said defensively, grabbing the armrest tightly._

" _You know, turbulence very rarely causes planes to crash." He said as JJ reached over to stop his glass of water flying off the table._

" _That does me_ _ **absolutely**_ _no good at the moment, thank you." He said sarcastically. Reids brows went up for a moment before he answered._

" _What we really need to worry about are microbursts, the sudden downbursts of air associated with thunderstorms, in a small craft like this if we hit one of those at the wrong altitude," he hit his fist against the palm of his hand. "Boom, pulverized." When he finished his little rant, he reached over and took a drink of his water. Rossi stared at him in horror for a moment before turning to JJ._

" _I beg of you to make him stop." JJ just shook her head at him and he sighed. Reid smiled from behind his water as the plane shook again._

 ** _AN: All of the dreams in this chapter and the first one are scenes from the show. I might make my own dream scenes in future chapters, but maybe not. Please R &R! :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: Spoilers for** **Revelations.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own criminal minds or its characters.**

Reid Groaned as he opened his eyes, looking blearily at the blue ceiling of his room. His first thought was _this isn't my room._ The second was. _No wait, this is my room._ And he groaned again as he realized why he was so confused. This wasn't Dream Reid's room. Wow, he was starting to confuse himself. He flung out an arm to stop his alarm clock's incessant chime. Instead of stopping the ringing, he wound up knocking the evil contraption onto the floor. He sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to get out of bed and get the alarm. He dragged himself to his feet before kneeling next to his bed in search of the dreaded nuisance. It was under the bed, meaning he would have to lay flat on his stomach on the floor to reach it. He shook his head at how clumsy he could be, while laying on the floor. He reached under the bed blindly and he grabbed the first thing that his fingers touched. It wasn't his alarm, which he registered was still making noise in the background. No, what he was looking at was a syringe. He stared at it, confused for a moment. _Why is this here?_ As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he was struck with a blinding headache. He made a strangled noise and grabbed his head. Images flashed through his mind, almost too fast to see. As soon as he focused on one, it was replaced with another. First he saw a man. _Tobias_ , his mind whispered. Then a shed, a bare light bulb on a chord, computer screens, a graveyard, a revolver. Then came the smell. Burning fish guts, gunsmoke, fear. Then, at last, the noise. " _For God's will.", "The Devil can read too.", "Confess.", "It makes it better.", "He cannot break you.", "Please, I don't want it.", "Do I look like Raphael to you, boy?" the click of a revolver, wood breaking the bones in his feet, the screams of the innocent people he sentenced to death._ The last thing he felt before his vision cleared was a needle pushing into the soft skin of his arm. He threw the syringe as far from him as he could before running to the bathroom and emptying whatever was in his stomach. Standing up, he stumbled to the sink and washed his face with cold water, rinsing out his mouth. He leaned against the sink, running his fingers through his short, curly hair. _What is happening to me?_ He thought and took a shaky breath. It felt so… real. Was it? _No, that's impossible._ His logical mind argued. _Oh, yeah, about as impossible as dreaming about people who you've never seen, or MET for that matter and knowing their names, and how they act, and-_ he sighed, rubbing his face. Okay, compartmentalize. Just… act normal. Yeah, the easiest thing in the world. He rolled his eyes. This isn't even his biggest problem at the moment… whatever 'this' is. He still had a serial killer who wanted to kill him. Had it really only been two days ago that his only problem was that he thought it was weird to have dreams about people that he made up? It felt like two years. Well, while he was acting 'normal' he might as well get ready for the day.

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There was a loud knock at his front door as he was buttoning up his navy blue shirt. "Give me a second!" He yelled, and tucked the shirt into his black slacks. He already had the rest of his clothes on, and he ran to the door. He opened the door, slightly out of breath from having had to dodge and jump over piles of books. Morgan stood there, leaning against the door frame.

"Nice glasses." He said, eyebrows raised slightly. Reid then realized that the FBI agent had only ever seen him wearing contacts before.

"I was just about to put in my contacts." He muttered, and went toward his bedroom to put his contacts in. Morgan took that as his que to enter and shut the door behind him.

"Nice place." Morgan said offhandedly.

"Thanks." Was all he said as he went into his bedroom. He wasn't in the best mood. When he returned, Morgan was sitting at the bar on a stool, looking at his phone. "So, you're staying with me the whole day, then?" Reid asked, adjusting the strap of his messenger bag.

"Yup. You're our best lead." He said not looking up. Reid resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that response. He had known the man for, what, a day? And he talked to him like an old friend. It wasn't that he really minded, it was just… weird. _That seems to be the only word in my vocabulary lately._ People don't usually take to him so quickly, but he guessed there was nothing 'usual' about this. "Well let's get going then."

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Reid spent the day as he normally would, lecturing, answering student questions, writing papers on various subjects. He did get more than a few odd looks because of the intimidating man who was with him, but all and all, more normal than he expected. That night when they got back to Reid's apartment, Morgan said goodnight and left. Once the door was firmly closed, he went in search of the awful syringe he found earlier. He walked into his room and looked around. _If I were a syringe, where would I be?_ He looked around for about ten minutes, starting with where he was sure it had landed, and when it remained elusive, searched everywhere else. It was just gone. He even checked under the bed again! All he found were dust bunnies and his alarm clock, which turned off at some point. He rubbed his face and sighed. Had it ever been there, or was really going crazy? Despite his question, he knew deep down that it was very real. What he didn't know, was _how_ it was real. He was going to find out. One way, or another.

 **A/N: Hey all, so school is starting for me tomorrow and my updates may become less frequent. I do apologize to all my readers for this, but it can't be helped :( As always, reviews are very appreciated and I will update as soon as I get the chance!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi all,** **I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter but I wanted to get something in tonight. Its not as long as I may have liked, but the next chapter will definitely** **be longer (Over 1,000 like the others).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.**

Letting the TV play in the background, Reid sat on his couch, mismatching-sock clad feet up on the coffee table with a book in one hand and a large coffee in the other. Reid sat his coffee down and reached for his phone when it began to ring. It may have been considered outdated, but his flip phone was perfectly functional and he felt no need to replace it. Flipping it open and pressing it to his ear, he answered,

"Hello?"

" _Hello, Dr. Reid."_ An awfully familiar voice on the other end greeted. He froze. " _I just wanted to remind you that these_ _ **agents**_ _,"_ Bryan spat the word. " _Can't protect you forever."_ Reid swallowed. " _And when they leave…"_ he let the sentence trail off menacingly. Reid rushed to the landline as quietly as possible, dialing the number on the card he was given for the FBI.

" _Morgan."_ Came from the landline. He spoke into his cell phone before answering Morgan.

"How did you know this number?" He asked Bryan, and said into the landline, "The killer called me on my cell. I still have him on the line."

" _I know a_ _ **lot**_ _about you, Doctor."_ Was Bryan's cagey response.

" _We're tracing the call. Stay on the line."_ Was Morgan's. He opted to answer Bryan.

"L-like what?" He cleared his suddenly dry throat.

" _Like, you are brilliant. An IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory."_ He said. " _And you know what else I know?"_ He asked.

"What?"

" _That you called the feds."_ And, with that, the line went dead. Shaken, he closed the cellphone and held the other to his ear.

"Did you get him?" He asked the agent on the other end. He was surprised when JJ answered instead of Morgan.

" _No, Dr. Reid, it was a disposable cell phone."_ She said sadly into the phone.

"Oh." Was all he said. This guy was good.

The rest of the night, Reid felt as if he was being watched. Which he probably was, to be fair. " _It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you."_ He remembered his mom had told him once. He felt like that applied here.

 **A/N: So, like I said, short. Hope you liked it, please R &R! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: Spoilers for Season 6. Hinted drug use.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned Criminal Minds.**

Reid closed his eyes and willed sleep to come. It didn't. He rolled back and looked at his evil alarm clock. It read 1:27. He groaned, completely aware that he had to be up at 7:00. He closed his eyes again and took a few deep breaths, feeling his body relax against the soft mattress.

…..

 _Standing next at the back of the jet, Reid pressed his hand to his head in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain his migrain was causing him. He startled slightly when Seaver suddenly spoke next to him._

" _Is this the line?" She asked. He turned to face her._

" _Hum?" He asked, realizing that he was standing in front of the coffee machine._

" _Coffee, sorry." She clarified._

" _Oh, uh, no sor- I'm just thinking." He said, squinting._

" _Aren't you always?" She asked, slightly concerned._

" _Yeah." He nodded, smiling slightly and moving out of her way. "Hey, uh, what's the weather like in Miami right now?"_

" _Well, I don't know exactly, but my guess? 75 and sunny." Reid made a face and moved back to his seat._

… _.._

" _Whats this?" Reid asked as Hotch threw down a folder in front of him. The rest of the team began to get up and get their go- bags for the next case._

" _You told me you were clear to travel. You lied." Hotch told him in a no nonsense tone._

" _Naughty boy." Prentis said._

" _Uh, no, I didn't." He floundered for an excuse. "I am a doctor, so technically it wasn't a lie."_

" _What was it, then?" Garcia asked from the doorway._

" _Um, a second opinion?" He laughed slightly._

" _Huh. You're my bitch, now." She smiled. He heard Morgan laugh behind him as he resigned himself to his fate._

… _.._

 _Reid had been letting his mind wander again. He knew he would regret it, but what else was he supposed to do? He sure as hell couldn't forget. He thought of her smile, perfectly painted lips and white teeth, her raven hair and the way it had shined in the sun, the time she had beat him at cards, how awful he had been to her after his abduction and during his addiction. How he had snapped at her when she was just trying to help._

" _I never got to say goodbye." He repeated the words he said that night at the hospital, when JJ told him she... Didn't make it. He sobbed, the tears that always seemed to be close to the surface nowadays flowing freely down his gaunt, paler than normal cheeks. Grief consumed him as he shook._

 _A thought crossed his mind, more tempting than it should have been. The idea of blissful ignorance, even for a moment, even if it would be worse later, sounded like heaven. "I'm not strong enough." He muttered, ashamed. He had to get out of his apartment, and hope he got to his destination before he lost any will he had to resist the temptation of his drug of choice. He stumbled off his couch and grabbed his keys as he walked out the door. He got into his car and drove._

 _He pulled up to the large house, most lights still on inside which he was thankful for. He made his way up to the front door, ringing the bell. When JJ opened the door, the initial look on her face was shock. Probably because he looked like a complete wreck. Tears streaming, clothes rumpled, face unshaved. He probably looked as bad as he felt. Then, her large blue eyes filled with sadness and compassion._

" _Spence…" She whispered. He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her and sobbing into the crook of her neck. She returned his embrace, stroking his hair. She murmured comforting words in his ear. "I-I'm sorry." His breath hitched. "I'm interrupting your family t-time-" He began but she cut him off._

" _Will and Henry are out. They're seeing a movie. Please, Spence, stay a while." She said gently, as if the wrong word would make him break. He nodded, unable to make his vocal cords work and followed her into the family room. Her laptop sat open on the coffee table and she quickly closed it. Before she had it shut, he noticed she was playing online Scrabble. Her username was Cheetobreath, which he thought was fitting. He didn't read too much into why she closed it so quickly, or the brief panic he saw in her eyes as she did. Maybe if he had, it would have saved him a lot of grief and bitter tears._

…

Reid sat upright in his bed, tears still running down his face. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve of his nightshirt, still feeling the lingering sadness. He had woken up before his alarm by about twenty minutes. Knowing he would not be getting back to sleep anytime soon, he got out of bed and began his morning routine. He started with a shower, washing the salt off his face as he shuddered. He couldn't believe a _dream_ had made him feel like this. He never wanted to feel raw grief like that ever again. He wasn't even sure who this woman was, or who any of these people were. Yet he knew that if anything were to happen to any of them, he would be devastated. Hell, this was the first time he had dreamed of this 'Seaver' and he felt close to her, almost as much as the rest of them. He was curious about her. Was she still part of the team? Had she ever been part of the team, actually? If she had, what happened? Did she even exist? So many questions, and next to no answers. He stood under the warm spray for a few more minutes and before quickly finishing his shower. He stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his slim waist. Mist had clouded up the mirror, and he wiped it away with long, slim fingers. " _You have the hands of a piano player."_ Elle's voice floated through his head. He leaned his head against the mirror and looked at his reflection. Large Hazel eyes looked back at him as he thought, letting his mind wander. Weren't geniuses supposed to have answers?

 **A/N: The dreams in this chapter are not all from the show directly (Though the first two are). The last one was what I imagined happened off screen. Also, I don't think Elle ever actually told Spencer he had piano player hands on the show but that seems like something she would say. Hope you liked it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry this is a little late! Geometry is difficult and time consuming. The first two dreams are scenes from the same episode, and the last one is supposed to be as well. I hope you enjoy it, and I will try to post again soon!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.**

When Reid left his apartment that morning, with Prentiss as his protective detail, he pondered his predicament. And not for the first time. When Prentiss had shown up that morning, he had to resist the urge to wrap her in a hug. He honestly felt like he was living two lives. Or one very complicated one. He sighed and Prentiss looked at him.

"Something wrong?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I'm just worried. It's bad enough to have someone trying to kill you, but knowing that they are a serial killer _and_ stalking you is worse." It wasn't exactly a lie. He _was_ worried about that.

"Oh, yeah." was all she said, turning back to the red light as it turned green. " _I never have any normal fans."_ It was his own voice that invaded his mind. They pulled into the parking lot of the university and both got out. They chatted about normal things as they walked to his classroom. They got to know each other- in a formal way. She noted that he taught a classes on philosophy and mathematics. He confirmed it and she seemed impressed. She sat in a seat in the front row while he lectured.

"That was very interesting, Doctor." She complimented after.

"Oh, thank you." He said with a smile. One of his students tapped him on the shoulder and he turned. After having a discussion about the best way to take notes, the student thanked him and left.

"You seem to be very popular around here." She joked. He chuckled.

"Yeah, well, that tends to happen when you're the one grading assignments." He said while collecting his stuff. He heard her laugh behind him. They then left the building, getting to the car and driving back to his apartment.

CMCMCMCM

After saying their farewells, Reid and Prentiss parted ways. Reid felt more energized upon returning home than he had been the day before. He made himself a cup of his special brew and relaxed, turning on his DVR. He changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and settled on the couch for a long night of Doctor Who re-runs.

… _.._

" _...Like it. And you know what they say about riding a bicycle." Rossi said as he entered the conference room with Hotch. Reid was confused._

" _Whose getting a bicycle?" He asked, turning toward the pair._

" _Nobody." Hotch said in a tone that brooked no more questions. Reid's eyebrows went up and then down slightly at Hotch's answer, confused. They were just talking about a bike… ? "Lets get started." He changed the subject._

" _Yeah, O-key, so." Garcia said, standing to present the case. "Two men were beaten with a metal pipe. In Philadelphia last night. Sam Eeks, 58, was in town on business," A man with blue eyes and white hair popped up on the screen. "And then there's Bruce Thomas, 32. He worked- oh, god-" She turned to look at the screen then obviously regretted it upon seeing the grotesk images. She turned away and continued. "He worked at a suit shop nearby."_

" _It looks personal." JJ noted._

" _There was evidence of undoing at the crime scene." Rossi added._

" _He sat them up on crates." Prentiss said, squinting slightly at the screen._

" _Demonstrating remorse." JJ tacked on almost absentmindedly while reading the case file._

" _In 1976 George Geshwented cleaned up the crime scene and covered all six victims faces." Reid stated._

" _This guy did the same thing, even cleaned the blood off their necks." Morgan added on to Reid's fact._

" _Whichever it is, this type of aggression, coupled with his loose grip on reality, usually leads to more." Reid threw in clinically._

 _Then we can't take the chance that this guy is a one-hit wonder." Rossi said._

" _Exactly," Hotch stated, "Which is why we are headed to Philadelphia. Wheels up in twenty." He ended the meeting, closing the file and exiting the room._

… _.._

" _Okay Rossi, out with it. Is Hotch dating?" Garcia asked from her computer screen as the rest of the team sat on the jet. Rossi leaned forward, toward the screen and enunciating his word to make sure she understood._

" _I. Don't. Know." He told her. She pouted._

" _Ya know, statistically widowed men start dating much faster than females, but Hotch is refuting the data. It's been two years and nineteen days." Reid cut in._

" _Venus has aligned with mars, which means love is in the air, and maybe we will get weekends off!" She sounded excited, unaware that Hotch had walked in just out of her line of sight._

" _Ahem." Morgan cleared his throat to stop her from saying anything more incriminating. Prentiss bit her nail. You could have cut the awkward tension with a knife._

" _What? Is he standing right there? He's standing there, isn't he?" She sounded horrified._

" _Hello Garcia." Hotch said, bending slightly so she could see his clearly unamused face._

" _Hello. Someone talk about the case." She all but begged. Hotch and JJ shared a look as Derek came to the rescue, talking about the case._

… _.._

 _The team sat on the Jet, heading back to Virginia after the trying case. Reid sat at the table, trying to look like he was reading. He was thinking about the case, though it was over. He felt sorry for the Unsub. He had wanted to what was best for his son, who was dealt a bad hand to begin with. But to lose a child? And knowing that you were going to lose them and not being able to do anything for them? He honestly couldn't think of anything worse. He looked up as Morgan, who had been listening to his music on the couch, slid into the seat across from him._

" _What's up with you, man?" He asked._

" _Why would you think something's up?" Reid countered._

" _Because you haven't flipped that page for the last ten minutes. And, you just deflected my question."_

" _It's nothing, really." Reid said, and he meant it. He was just feeling… troubled._

" _Tell me what's bothering you. C'mon, pretty boy." Morgan prodded._

" _It's just… can you even imagine watching your child slowly dying of a disease, and not being able to do anything about it?" Reid looked up at Morgan with sad eyes. Morgan shook his head slowly._

" _I can't, really. But knowing you, you would probably just find the cure." Morgan quipped, and Reid smiled slightly. Morgan smiled widely, knowing he had accomplished his mission of making Reid feel better. If only slightly. He got up, patting Reid on the shoulder as he passed. "Try to get some sleep."_

" _You too." Reid murmured, going back to his book and feeling better. If only a little._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys, I got up before school this morning to post this 'cause I was late on the last one. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.**

Reid opened his eyes, and grunted as he sat up. His clock read 8:30. He got up and got ready, as he did every morning. He threw on a pair of black slacks and a purple button down shirt. He made himself actual breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast, and settled in for calm day of staying home. While he loved his job, Reid also treasured his weekends. He looked around, deciding that his apartment could use some cleaning.

He opened the curtains and windows to get some airflow. He turned on the speaker one of his students got him last Christmas and connected his Ipod. Beethoven played and he smiled. He picked up books, which were scattered all over and on every surface. The books were then sorted by genre, language, and volume and shelved accordingly. This whole process took about an hour. He then moved on to the bathroom, sweeping, wiping down counters, cleaning the mirrors and tub, etc. After he finished with that, he moved on to the bedroom. He changed the sheets and pillow cases on his bed, which he did every week (Do you know just _how_ many germs can collect on sheets?). Any clothes that were left lying around were picked up and put away or into the dirty laundry bucket.

Walking into the living room, Reid inspected it. He swept first, then he dusted. He rearranged the pillows on the couch, then decided to reposition every piece of furniture in the room. After he finished that, he cleared off all of the dirty dishes from the night before from the coffee table.

Reid walked into the kitchen to put the dirty dishes from the coffee table in the sink, which led to him doing the rest of the dishes. After drying and putting them all away, he looked around for something else to do. He decided on wiping down the counter and stove top. He cleaned the oven and the microwave, swept and mopped the floor. While he waited for the floor to dry, He looked at his watch and was shocked to see it was 1:30 already. _Time flies when you're busy._ He chuckled to himself and went back into the kitchen, looking through the cabinets. He had no food in the house, and decided that now would be a good time to go the the store. He put on his shoes and coat, grabbing his wallet on the way out.

As he walked down the street, Reid decided that he would only buy a few things for tonight's and tomorrow's dinners, seeing as he was on foot. He enjoys his walk- it was peaceful, really. Entering the store, he spent a good half hour buying a few things.

"Have a nice evening." The pretty red haired cashier said cheerily. He flashed her a smile.

"You too." He said, matching her enthusiasm. He grabbed his three bags and walked out of the store. He made it about a block from the store, before a random thought flashed through his head. _It's always calm before the storm._ He had only a few moments to wonder why he thought that before there was blinding pain in his skull as he was hit from behind. He cried out and fell to his knees dropping his bags. His vision took a few moments to clear and when it did, he saw 'Bryan' standing in front of him.

"Hello, Doctor." He said, and smiled at him as Reid felt chills crawl up his spine. He could feel sticky, warm blood coating the back of his skull. He was about to respond when Bryan's foot came flying toward his face. Reid felt his back hit the concrete and everything went black.

 **Please R &R! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey all, two in one day! Crazy, I know. Please R &R, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.**

 _The team sat on the jet, going over the case they had been given earlier that day. There was a palpable tension in the cabin of the small aircraft and everyone knew the reason. Reid and Hotch had argued before the team left for California. Hotch did not want Reid to come with the rest of the the team, he wanted him to stay and work this case from Quantico. Reid had told him there was no way he was going to sit around while people were being killed. The real reason for this argument? Well that was simple enough. Worry._

 _Hotch was worried about what might happen, because Reid fit the victimology to a T. When the pictures of the victim popped up on the screen everyone had been speechless. They all could have been Reid's brothers for how alike they looked. And they all had an above average intelligence- not nearly as high as Reid's- but still above average. Oh, yeah, this guy had a type. And Reid just happened to be that type. That, made everyone on edge._

" _Okay," Hotch said, breaking the tense silence. "This guy likes to kill by hand."_

" _He strangles them," Morgan said sounding uncomfortable. "Why?"_

" _Well, despite the popular belief, strangling someone with your bare hands, especially a grown man, takes strength. Like, a lot of it. And stamina. Much more difficult than TV would have you believe. Which would mean that this guy is probably young, and fit. It would also mean that he is dedicated to killing this way, as most killers would try and, upon realizing how difficult it is, settle for using something like rope or a belt." Reid told the group, determined to make this as least awkward as possible._

" _Alright, so it is important to him to strangle them" Prentiss looked up from her case file. "But_ _ **why**_ _is it so important?" She posed the question._

" _... I don't know." Reid said, a phrase that rarely came out of the geniuses mouth, which was unnerving in and of itself._

… _.._

Reid's eyes drifted open and he saw the roof of a car. The truck was moving and street lights illuminated the interior of the truck when they passed them. _Why am I laying on the floor of a moving truck?_ His mind asked him. He was too tired to answer and he felt his eyes drift closed again.

…..

 _Reid and Morgan rode in the same SUV, going to the last crime scene._

" _Morgan, you guys don't need to worry." Reid said quietly. Morgan grumbled something unintelligible under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse._

" _Of course we need to worry! You've seen the victims, doesn't it freak_ _ **you**_ _out?"_

" _Well, obviously it freaks me out. But I can take care of myself, you know."_

" _Damnit Reid!" Morgan shouted, hitting his hand on the steering wheel. "You are a danger magnet! Or have you forgotten about that completely?"_

" _I'm not going to let a psychopath stop me from doing my job."_

" _And no one's asking you to stop doing your job. We just want you to do it safer." Reid snorted at this._

" _We're FBI agents. There is nothing safe about this job."_

" _Yes, but this is another level." Morgan argued._

" _What if it was you?"_

" _What?"_

" _What if men that looked like you were dying? Don't try to convince me you would stay at Quantico. I don't even believe that you would stay at a field office."_

" _That's different." Reid turned large hazel eyes on him._

" _How?" Morgan opened his mouth, but couldn't think of an adequate response. Instead, he turned back to the road, effectively ending the conversation._

… _.._

Reid was vaguely aware of the truck stopping and one of the doors opening and closing. The door by his head opened and a pair of strong hands grabbed him under his bound (When had his hands been tied?) arms. He was dragged across what felt like a gravel driveway and his head lolled back against whoever was dragging him. He didn't much care at this point. He didn't even fight the darkness that consumed him.

…..

 _Reid stood before the geographical profile, studying the map and the red pins he stuck into it. Each red pin was a victim. A person whose life was cut short. He wanted to get this guy. Garcia's voice over the speakers of the computer snapped him out of his thoughts. He had most definitely not been paying attention._

" _I got it!" Garcia exclaimed. "His name is Bryan Baker," she listed his home and work address, setting the team into action. All accept Reid, who was told to stay at the station. He sighed and begrudgingly agreed. And then his team was gone, to get the bad guy._

… _.._

Reid was jolted when his bound feet hit one of the concrete steps particularly hard. He grunted as he was dropped on the concrete floor a few minutes later and he heard a laugh from Bryan's blurry retreating form. Reid let his head fall back against the cold floor. He deduced that he was in a basement. It wasn't damp, but it was cold and he could see a small window from where he was positioned. The window looked to be at ground level as he could see grass growing directly under it. It was nighttime and he wondered if anyone knew he was gone.

…..

 _When the team made it back to the station, Reid was disappointed to see that they had no Bryan._

" _What happened?" He asked as soon as they were close enough._

" _He wasn't there." JJ said, shaking her head. Rossi muttered something that sounded like a curse._

" _At either location." Rossi added for good measure._

" _Then lets find him." Hotch growled, walking past the members of his team. They knew he felt personally responsible for every member of his team, and that this guys choice of victim was making him bristle, even if he had never really indicated that he would go after Reid directly. Hotch turned on the computer screen and Garcia popped up._

" _Did you get him?" She asked._

" _No. We need you to find him." Hotch told her._

" _If he is on this plane of existence, you know I will find him." She said, stealing a glance at Reid. "Garcia out." And she was gone._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

Reid's eyes drifted open and he stared a the dull grey ceiling. He looked around with a vague detachment. Like it was all happening to someone else. He spotted the small window and all of the memories of the previous day came flooding back. Going to the store. Being blitz attacked by Bryan. The ride there. The dreams that felt too real. Bryan's blurry retreating form. The blissful darkness that he had been floating in for who knows how long. His hand went to the back of his head and he felt blood matting his hair to his skull. He figured he had a concussion, the symptoms were all there.

Confusion, problems organizing his thoughts, headache, nausea, and he was sure there were more than a few holes in his memory. He was fairly certain it had been a baseball bat that had hit him. He tried to stand and leaned heavily on the wall, stumbling. It was difficult with his still bound hands, but he managed. For about .5 seconds. He slid back down the wall when stars burst in his vision. He gasped when he hit the floor and closed his eyes. Just then the door opened, and Bryan walked into the room.

"Oh, good, you're awake." He said, voice pleasant. Reid just glared at the man. "Hmmm, not very chatty are we?" He asked in a patronizing tone.

"Why am I here?" He asked, voice hoarse.

"What, no, 'What do you want?'" he tilted his head sideways.

"I already know what you want."

"And what, pray tell, is that exactly?" Reid shrugged.

"You want to kill me."

"Hmmm, and how very right you are." His smile was wolfish.

"Then, why haven't you?"

"So eager to meet you maker, Spencer? Hell, I would want to meet him too, he's got to be brilliant to come up with something like you."

"No, I want to know why I'm here." He decided not to comment on the second part of that and answer the first question.

"You'll find out soon enough." He turned and left the room, locking it behind him. Spencer let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He was still surprised by his calm during the whole encounter. Probably shock, he decided.

The fact that his hands were still tied made him uneasy, but there was nothing he could do to get the rope off. There was nothing sharp in the room and the rope was skillfully tied. He choose to be glad that they were tied in his front and that he had a chance to defend himself. But defend himself from what? What was he planning? If all he had wanted was to kill him, Bryan could have done that already. So what was the game plan? He would have to wait and see. His head was filled with awful scenarios, but he pushed them away. He didn't see the point in being completely pessimistic. Reid idly wondered if anyone was looking for him yet. Did the team know he was gone? Not many people would really notice if he suddenly disappeared, after all.

Hours past, and Reid was fighting sleep. He knew if he slept while he had a concussion, he could slip into a comma and die. For some reason that thought made him want to laugh out loud. There was no reason that he could think of, and there was a real threat there. He knew that this situation was serious as a heart attack, and he still felt giggles bubbling up in his throat. Maybe he was really losing it this time.

It reminded him of the time he was being reprimanded for 'fighting' in school by his history teacher. The man was in the middle of lecturing him about picking fights, when Spencer had the inexplicable urge to laugh. He hadn't thought it was funny then, and he really didn't think it was funny now, so why did he find himself fighting off laughter in waves? He was still smiling when he drifted into the land of unconsciousness.

…

 _Reid and the team had no luck finding Bryan, and he had killed again. another man who looked too much like Reid for comfort. The mood was somber. Reid felt the need to get out of the room filled with frustrated profilers. Probably because he was one of those 'frustrated profilers'. He wandered the station aimlessly, until he came upon the front doors. He walked out into the rain, knowing full and well that it wasn't the best idea to get soaking wet. He stood under the section of the roof that protected him from the water falling out of the dark sky. He leaned against the wall and took a breath. It was cold, but by no means freezing. It was rare for California to get that cold, even in January. He leaned away from the wall and stuck his hand out to let the rain fall into his palm. It was soothing until a hand shot out from around the corner of the building and gripped his wrist. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back and only succeeded in pulling the man attached to it around to his side of the wall._

 _His eyes widened when he saw his face. The UNSUB, Bryan still hadn't released his wrist and Reid opened his mouth to alert someone, but was stopped before he could begin by a punch to the jaw. Reid's head whipped to the side and he fell back against the wall. Bryan advanced on him, and Reid punched him in the nose. He stumbled back a step, and Reid went for his gun. Bryan recovered quickly and grabbed the wrist holding the gun before he had it raised. They struggled for a moment and the gun went off._

 _Reid felt no pain and he knew he hadn't been shot, and the gun hadn't been pointing in Bryan's direction enough for the bullet to have hit him. The hand still encasing his wrist jerked and he was forced to drop the gun. With both wrists still in a death grip so tight it hurt, he did the only thing he could think of. He slammed his forehead against Bryans. His grip on Reid's wrists loosened, but not enough for him to get free. Instead, the momentum pulled them both back, into the rain. While his head now hurt like a bitch, he knew Bryans was worse. They fell into the parking lot, with Reid landing on top, at first. Bryan was bigger, and used the momentum to roll until he was on top._

 _Reid tried to fight back as thunder boomed loudly in the distance. He could feel water hitting his face and blinding him. He bucked, knowing he was at an extreme disadvantage here. There was no getting out from under the man straddling him, and he thought it was a good thing when the hands bruising his wrists let go. He thought wrong. As soon as the hands left his wrists, they wrapped around his throat. He gasped, or tried to as his air was cut off. Bryan leaned toward him, smiling widely._

 _"I love the ones that fight." He hissed. Reid resisted his first instinct, which was to try and pry the hands away, because he knew logically that it wouldn't work. Instead, he reached up and scratched at his attackers face. Reid's nails left red lines on his cheeks before he leaned out of his reach. Spots began to dance in Reid's vision as lightning struck, lighting the sky above them._

 _And then the weight on top of him lifted and he gasped for air. It hurt his damaged windpipe and he coughed. Arms wrapped around him again and he fought the embrace._

" _Shhh, Spence, it's okay." The only person in the world that called him 'Spence'. It was JJ, not the UNSUB. He could have cried with relief. He looked up at her, and her hair was soaked and clinging to her neck and face._

" _You're getting wet." Was the best response he could think of as his mind went numb. She gave him a strange look._

" _Spence, you were almost choked to death less than 5 seconds ago, and you're worried about me getting wet." She shook her head. "You are impossible." But he wasn't looking at her anymore. He had glanced over to where Morgan had Bryan on the ground, his knee in his back while he cuffed him. Bryan was still grinning, staring at Reid and JJ. He had blood still running from his nose and a sizeable gash on his forehead. He and Reid locked gazes until Bryan was pulled roughly to his feet by Morgan. Reid shuddered as he was also pulled to his feet, albeit much more gently. He stumbled and Leaned on JJ as they made their way back to the station._

 **A/N: I wrote the dream while listening to Hotel California by the Eagles and I feel like they have the same vibe. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy. Also, I hadn't been planning on making it raining until I thought about how much I want it to be raining here, and for dramatic effect. I love rain. Anyways, please R &R!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I most** **definitely** **do not own Criminal Minds.**

Reid awoke with his head pounding and his throat aching. _Why does my throat burn?_ He thought as he looked up at the lightbulb that was now casting a yellow glow around the dull room. He looked down at his wrists and gasped. There were colorful bruises in the shape of fingers on both of them. His hand went to his throat and he touched it gently, hissing in pain. He knew there was no way _that_ was psychosomatic.

He forced himself to his feet, and looked out the window. It was dark now, and he could see his reflection. There were dark bruises around his throat in the shape of hands, another bruise on his forehead that could have been from when Bryan introduced his boot to his head, but he doubted it. He also had a split lip and yet another bruises on his cheek he was sure wasn't there before he went to sleep. Oh, this was confusing. Reid hated being confused. First that goddamn syringe, now this? What the Hell! He hadn't thought he yelled that last part out loud until he heard a voice behind him.

"Now, now, there's no need to yell." He spun around at the sound of Bryan's voice behind him. When had he gotten there? He was fed up with everything that was happening. Everyone had a breaking point, and this just happened to be Doctor Reid's.

"You gonna tell me what the HELL you want now, you bastard?" He yelled angrily. He noted that Bryan wasn't fazed, by the yelling or the bruises. _Of course he's not fazed, he caused them._ Reid thought about how illogical that thought was.

"No." Bryan said, face neutral. Reid actually growled at this response and Bryan continued. "If you think about it hard enough, you'll get it, I'm sure." His voice was mocking, but Reid had the feeling he was being serious. He rubbed his eyes and he listened as footsteps retreated and the door opened and closed. Reid decided to go with what his kidnapper said.

So why would a psychopath like Bryan, who felt compelled to kill men who looked like Reid, take him back to a secure location? The first answer that came to mind was he wanted more time, that killing him out on the street, or even in his own home was too quick. But he had done that with the other men, so why would he break pattern now? Maybe he wanted to cause him more pain, torture him both mentally and physically. But he hadn't laid a hand on him and though their conversations may have been annoying and unhelpful, he hadn't said anything truly cruel. So, what was it?

Orders from someone else? No, he discarded that thought quickly, he couldn't work with another person. Even if he did he wouldn't be the submissive personality. No, no, no, none of it made sense. He wanted to sleep it off, but he was worried about what might happen if he did. Would he wake up with more injuries that he already had? He paced the small room till his head was spinning and he began to tire. It hadn't been his intention, but it wasn't exactly unwelcome either.

…..

 _Reid sat in the back of the ambulance, his weak protests having died out a while ago. After the medic cleared him, saying he wouldn't need to go to the hospital, he was approached by Morgan._

" _You look terrible." It was said lightly, and Reid knew it was true._

" _You should see the other guy." He joked half-heartedly, wincing when his smile pulled at his split lip._

" _I did." He said. "And you put up one Hell of a fight." He sounded proud of that fact. "How did you give him that gash on his head, anyways?" He asked._

" _I, uh, I headbutted him." Reid looked away slightly. Morgan just stared for a moment._

" _...Why?" He asked, slightly bewildered. Reid shrugged._

" _It, ah, it was the only thing I could think of." Morgan just shook his head. He looked at the bruise forming on Reid forehead and winced sympathetically. And then he looked at all the other bruises and anger flashed across his face._

" _I'd kill that son of a bitch." He growled. Reid hopped out of the ambulance and Morgan helped him back into the police station. They got him, but that had been a close one._

… _.._

 _Reid, Morgan, and Prentiss all rode in the SUV on the way to the airstrip where the jet was. Morgan was driving, Prentiss was sitting shotgun, and Reid sat in the back middle seat, as usual. Morgan and Prentiss were chatting about things Reid wasn't paying attention to. He was lightly tracing the colorful bruising around his throat absentmindedly. He winced quietly and was brought out of his revere when his finger touched a particularly sore spot. Morgan looked at him in the mirrior, having heard the small noise from his friend and co-worker._

" _You alright, Pretty Boy?" He asked. Prentiss turned in her seat to see that he was alright with her own eyes._

" _I-" Whatever Reid was going to say was ended abruptly by the flash of bright lights as he turned his head to look out the window, and the screeching of metal on metal. Reid heard and saw it before he felt it. His body was thrown against the seatbelt and to the side on impact. He felt his head whip to the side and hit the glass of the window. The last thing he felt before his vision went dark was a sharp pain in his side. "Are they okay?" was his only thought as oblivion took him._


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.**

Reid woke, gasping. Wild eyes flashed around the room as he realized where he was. Or, where he thought he was. The door opened to reveal Bryan, once again. _He has the most impeccable timing, it's almost suspicious._ His eyes narrowed at that thought.

"Figure it out yet, genius?" He asked.

"Not quite yet. Care to give me a hint?"

"Nope." He let his 'p' pop at the end. Bryan left again and Reid wondered why he even bothered to come in here. He grit his teeth and shut his eyes at the intense headache he felt coming on. It was light outside again and he covered his eyes. He heard someone clear their throat in front of him and groaned. Why hadn't he heard them come in? He removed his hand from his eyes and looked up, fully expecting to see Bryan. He simply stared at who was in front of him.

It was himself. He was looking at his 16 year old self. Oh, he was officially crazy.

"You're not crazy." Said young Spencer.

"Then why am I talking to myself?" older Reid asked. Spencer shrugged.

"Why do you think out loud?" He asked.

"To get my thought process going." Reid said slowly.

"Yup." Spencer said, giving a cheeky grin.

"So, why am I not just talking out loud?" Reid asked.

"Because you need to think in the form of a conversation. And Bryan, out there," He gestured with his hand. "Is no help. Like, at all. But you already knew that."

"Did I?" Reid asked.

"Well, yeah. What do you think I am?" He sounded almost offended.

"Honestly, I have no idea." And he was being honest. Spencer sighed, blowing his hair out of his eyes.

"Okay, how about this. How can you read 20,000 words per minute?"

"Because our subconscious minds can processes information-" He abruptly ended his ramble, his eyes widening with realization. "You are a physical manifestation of my subconscious." He was glad to finally understand, _something._

"You got it." He said. Reid's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why don't you just tell me what's going on, then?" He asked.

"Because you are your conscious mind. I can only point you in the right direction." Spencer explained.

"Okay, so if I already know everything, why don't you tell me where to start?" Reid asked, slightly exasperated. Spencer hummed.

"Okay," He said. "Which article did you read December 20th at 11:15 PM?" It was slightly cryptic, but it was something to work with. Reid thought a second.

"It was an article on the adverse effects of a coma on the human mind."

"Be more specific."

"It talked about what the human mind goes through when in a coma. There were interviews with people who had been in commas and recovered. Many of them didn't remember anything, but there were a few who talked about the dreams they experienced."

"How did they describe the dreams?"

"They said they thought they seemed real at first…" Reid trailed off and stared at Spencer. "I'm in a coma." He said, stunned. His head exploded in pain as all of his memories came back. The events that led up to him becoming and agent, all of his cases, the team, everyone who had been on the team at some point, the most recent case, Bryan and his capture, the drive back to the Jet, the car crash that put him into a comma. He was breathing heavily as his vision cleared. Spencer still stood there. "All of the dreams were memories." He said to him. Spencer nodded.

"I tried to be subtle, but that didn't work." He said.

"Yeah, I got that." He said, putting the heel of his hand to his forehead.

"No need to get touchy." Said Spencer.

"Sorry." Reid grumbled. When he opened his eyes again, Spencer was gone and he was alone again. So, what now?

…..

"You figure it out?" Asked Bryan as he walked into the room. Reid nodded.

"Yeah, actually, I think I did." He said, Bryan raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"So, what is it?"

"You're not real." Bryan's face remained impassive.

"I'm not?" He asked. "I feel real." Reid shook his head.

"The only reason you are here is because you almost killed me before I was put into a comma. You represent my fears. My nightmare. Had we not gone the California before we crashed, you would probably be here in the form of Tobias Hankel." Bryan frowned.

"Hmmm. Way to impersonalize the situation, Doctor." Reid shrugged. "Well, you are right." He said, and then he was gone. Reid looked at the spot where Bryan had previously stood. The door was cracked slightly and Reid stood, and stumbled his way to the door.

Reid stepped out into the sunlight. He looked up and around, using his hands to shield his eyes. It was then that he realized he was now unbound. He knew where he was. This was the park he always took his godson, Henry, to when the weather was nice. He looked around and spotted two people he knew. One was a little blonde boy. One was a lanky young man. It was him and Henry. They walked past him, not even seeing him. Henry had an ice cream cone, which he was eating enthusiastically. As he watched them walk away, he knew which memory this was. He had been asked to babysit Henry for a day and he took him for ice cream cones and a fun day at the park. He realized that he couldn't interact with the scene before him. He spotted another door, which was out of place in the park. So, this was stroll through memory lane? He opened the door and stepped into his next memory.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Oh my, thank you all for being amazing! thank you to all who read, reviewed, followed, and f** **avorited** **this story! All of these inspired me to write, and this story has been so** **much** **fun.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.**

Reid stepped through the door at the park and into the next memory. He looked around and knew where he was. He and Elle were sitting in the bullpen, talking. She was sitting on the edge of his desk and he looked sad. Reid walked closer, listening.

"There's no need, really." She was saying.

"It's not that I _need_ a gun, Elle, it's just…" He let himself trail off, looking at her with puppy dog eyes, imploring her to understand. She shook her head. "I want to be able to do field work."

She grabbed his hand and held it up for him to see. "You have the hands of a piano player, not the hands of a marksman." He frowned, but nodded. Reid, who now stood next to them, sighed. He remembered that what she had told hadn't made him feel better. And, little did either of them know at the time, that Reid would wind up pulling the trigger and killing Phillip Dowd within a week of that conversation. Reid noticed another door that was out of place, and approached it. It was red, and looked like the kind of door that would be on the front a quaint house in the suburbs. As he got closer, he realized that it was the front door to the house he lived in as a child. He tilted his head curiously, and turned the doorknob.

He stepped through and nostalgia washed over him. Everything was as he remembered it. _Of course it is. These are your memories._ He thought and rolled his eyes. He wondered which memory this was. He ventured further into the house and heard laughter coming from the kitchen. This indicated that his mother was not having an episode and he continued more confidently. He walked into the kitchen and smiled, now knowing which memory this was. He had come home from school to his very lucid mother about a month after his dad had left. She greeted him, and they made cookies. She told him stories about her childhood while they baked, and he made a huge mess with the flour. The mess resulted in a flour fight and a very happy Spencer, who normally detested mess. He watched as younger him and his mother cleaned up the flour, laughing all the while. He noticed another out of place door, and reluctantly went to it. The door was the one to the conference room and he looked back at the happy scene once more before entering.

He walked in and automatically wanted to walk back out. He knew exactly which memory _this_ was. Hotch and JJ stood in front of Reid, Rossi, Garcia, and Morgan. Hotch was talking and everyone had equally confused looks on their faces. That is, until, Emily miraculously arrived alive and well. Reid remembered how he felt when he realized what happened. It took him a minute, but he finally got it.

"But… we buried her." He whispered at the same time as his past self did. He turned away, searching for a door, not wanting to watch Emily walk in a second time. He found what he was looking for and didn't even examine which door it was before he was through it.

He walked onto the Jet, and looked around. The interior lights were dimmed and most of the team was sleeping. He knew which memory this one was. Not much happened per say, but he just sat there and let the team sleep. It was peaceful and he enjoyed the calm it brought on. He read until it was almost landing time, drinking coffee and enjoying his team's company. Reid spotted the next door and approached it. It was a plain white door, to a house presumably.

He walked in and knew where he was. It was the case he had been infected with anthrax on. He could see himself across the room, on the other side of a sliding glass door was an angry and upset looking Morgan. He could hear himself tell Morgan he was sorry. He sighed, remembering how betrayed Morgan had looked, he could see it in his eyes. He looked around for a new door. He found it on the wall opposite to the glass doors.

Stepping through, he heard laughter. He spun and looked, to see Henry's birthday party. There were children running around, all Henry's age. The blond birthday boy himself was opening a present Reid had gotten him. He opened the chemistry kit and smiled brightly, running into Reid's arms. Reid watched for a moment, smiling, before turning to find the next door. He had a feeling that if he kept going, he would get back to reality soon. The next door was old and wooden.

He opened it with apprehension, nervous that the thing would fall apart. He stepped through, and instanlty wished he hadn't. He recognized the cornfield he now stood in and he heard JJ scream, then gunshots. He ran out of the cornfield after his past self and watched helplessly as he was knocked to the ground by Tobias. He watched his own feeble attempts to crawl away. He silently willed himself to get up and fight, knowing that it was already done. As if he could stop the inevitable with his will alone. He turned away as Tobias began to fight with himself, and looked for a way out. He found what he had been looking for and walked through the door without hesitation.

He was back on the jet, but no one was there. He stepped in furthur, looking around for something to indicate which memory this was. But the Jet had no one on it. He couldn't find a strange door. He slightly began to panic, thinking that he was possibly going to be trapped in his own mind forever. And then, his 16 year old self walked in from the back of the plane.

"Hi." Spencer waved. Reid waved back, and his subconscious took a seat across from him. "So, you are probably wondering why you are here."

"Yes, actually, I am." Reid said.

"I am going to explain something to you, and I want you to keep it in mind when I ask you the question." He said. Reid was now suspicious again.

"Okay…" He said slowly.

"Your mind made up this reality to protect you from the truth. Truth is, you have more trauma than anyone your age should. You have given so much of yourself to this job that just maybe, this dream, this new life, could be exactly what you need to escape. Be a well loved college professor. Teach without having to worry that you might die every day and teach what you love without having to see gruesome things every _single_ day. Reid, what I am offering you. What your _mind_ is offering you? Is a chance to forget." Reid simply stared as he pondered this, and Spencer continued. "Of course, if you so choose, you will wake up from this and go back to seeing what horrible thing people can do to other human beings and remembering it for the rest of your life." He shrugged. "What do you choose?" He asked. Reid looked at him, and thought about it. ' _Is forgetting really worth it?'_


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Okay, last chapter! This has been awesome, and you guys have been awesome! Gahh**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.**

Reid's eyes shot open and he tried to suck in a breath. He choked on something plastic. Panic rose swiftly as he tried to breath.

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down Pretty Boy, let the ventilator do its job. Stop fighting it. Reid, look at me." Morgans voice. He turned his head to look at the dark skinned man who spoke. He slowly relaxed as he looked into his friends dark eyes. The machine began to breath for him and he instantly wanted it out. Knowing he wouldn't be able to talk, he tried to communicate the want to Morgan with his eyes. Morgan walked out of his line of vision for a moment and Reid worried he might be leaving, until he walked back to his previous spot. "I called the nurse." He said as a young woman with blonde hair walked in. He recognized her as the intern that gave him coffee in his dream. She came in, checked his vitals after taking out the ventilator tube (Which was not pleasant), and gave he and Morgan the rundown.

"We think this time he will stay awake," She began, and was interrupted.

"Stay awake?" His voice was raspy from disuse, and he cleared his throat.

"Yes, you woke up a few hours after the crash, but you were not lucid and slipped into a coma." She explained. Well, that explained why she was the first person he saw in his dream. She continued to tell them his condition, about how most of his injuries had been healed in the two weeks he had been in a coma.

"Two weeks?" He had nearly shrieked the question as the entire team came rushing into the room, minus Hotch and Rossi, who walked in like normal people. He was ambushed with hugs by JJ and Garcia first, who had pushed all the others out of their way in their excitement.

"Oh, you have no idea how good it is to see you awake, Spence." She said, tears gathering in her blue eyes.

"I'm sure I have some idea." He murmured quietly, not meaning for her to hear him.

"Oh, how much I have missed my Baby Genius!" Garcia wasn't even holding her tears back as she kissed his cheeks and nose multiple times. He hugged them both back and accepted the kisses, knowing that they needed this. After they backed off, Prentiss approached him and hugged him gently and briefly, which he was grateful for. She knew he wouldn't want her to invade his space too much.

"Welcome back." She said simply, smiling at him. He smiled back. Next was Rossi, who took his shoulders in both his hands, leaning forward slightly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, kid." He said, but with no real anger, before pulling him into a brief hug. Hotch stepped up last, Morgan having greeted him before the rest of the team. Hotch simply walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good to have you back, Reid." He said.

"It's good to be back." Reid said, and he meant it. Forgetting may have been like a vacation, but he wouldn't want it to last. As he looked around this room filled with these wonderful people, he knew he wouldn't trade his life, his _family_ , for anything.

" _We are only as blind as we want to be."~ Maya Angelou._

 **A/N: And that's a wrap! If anyone has any requests for new stories, please, PM me! I love inspiration! I may not use it, but I adore having new ideas to play with.**


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